Burnsall to stage Viking festival (From Craven Herald)

Burnsall to stage Viking festival

9:10am Thursday 2nd September 2010 in

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Viking hordes will descend on Burnsall this weekend for three days of feasting, fighting and merry making.

The Vikings in Burnsall Festival – the third to be held – is designed to celebrate the Nordic heritage of the village, which is home to an impressive collection of Viking stones, crosses and hogback grave covers.

Festivities will begin with a feast tomorrow (Friday) when guests are invited to meet on The Green in traditional dress at 7.30pm to enjoy a glass of mead and singing by a Jorvik Viking.

Revellers will then follow a torchlight procession to the village hall where food will be served at 9pm, followed by the reciting of sagas, medieval singing, a leg-wrestling competition and axe holding.

Celebrations will continue on Saturday with a procession of schoolchildren, warriors, Batala drummers, horse riders and Burnsall’s 1,000-year-old cross, leaving Hartlington Hall at 12.45pm.

Activities will continue on The Green in the afternoon with highlights including the building of a Viking ship and music around the campfire.

The Viking cross will also be on display throughout the day and archaeologist Dr Betty Coatsworth will be on hand to answer any questions. The day will come to a close at 7.30pm with the launching and burning of the Viking ship, complete with a slain dummy warrior, accompanied by Batala drummers and sky lanterns.

Sunday will begin with the blessing of the ancient Viking cross at the river’s edge at 9.30am.

The cross will then be lashed to spears and taken to St Wilfrid’s Church, where a Viking Festival family service will take place at 10am followed by a procession to The Green.

A variety of other entertainment and activities will take place on The Green from 1.30pm on Saturday and Sunday including a hog roast, a Jorvik Viking encampment, a demonstration of Viking battle drills and weapons and a battle between Vikings and Normans, including an attack across the river.

An imposing illuminated Wicker Man will watch over the three-day proceedings from the village green and plays will be held at his feet on both Saturday and Sunday.